Motor vehicles, such as industrial trucks and tractors, SUV's and trucks, etc., are known to utilize power take-off (PTO) assemblies to redirect a portion of the torque generated by the motor of the vehicle to power auxiliary equipment such as a water pump, an auger, a generator, a winch, or any equipment that may be attached to and powered by a rotating shaft. A PTO assembly may draw torque directly from the motor or the transmission of the vehicle and output the torque in the form of a rotating shaft. The PTO includes a clutch for selectively disengaging the transmittal of torque to rotate the output shaft when the PTO is not in use or when there is a need to change the auxiliary equipment attached to the shaft.
The clutch may operate under a variety of loads, depending on the auxiliary equipment attached to the PTO assembly. However, it may be difficult to engage the clutch smoothly due to the inertia of the auxiliary equipment or the load on the equipment. Thus there is a need for a clutch that is sufficient robust to transmit torque to a variety of auxiliary equipment while selectively engaging in a smooth and non-obtrusive manner.